Quick Overview

PRE ORDER FOR 2019 - Our 5 frame nucs are supplied in a free reusable correx travel box with a marked 2019 mated Buckfast queen. Reared up early in the season to begin distribution May onward (weather permitting*). Provided on British Standard National frames with brood at all stages and bees. It is important you read all the description before ordering

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*Payment Type

Deposit to COLLECT £80 (£120 to pay on collection) -£120.00

Full amount for POSTAGE £200 (Please select this if you wish to post)

Full payment to COLLECT (£200) (Do not select this if you require post)

Ideal way to start beekeeping is to purchase a nuc and with our docile bees it is perfect for beginners whilst still maintaining required traits for production, disease resistance and low swarming tendencies.

Your nuc will be supplied to you with brood at all stages (capped brood, larvae, and eggs) and a sufficient amount of stores**. All of our nucs are made early in the season with the queen supplied allowing them to build up themselves. These are NOT thrown together last minute with a caged queen like many other suppliers.

All our breeding hives are treated for varroa routinely in the spring & autumn, we are also fully DASH accredited suppliers so you can rest assured your bees will be in prime condition on collection / arrival.

Our nucs are supplied on British Standard DN4 National frames (Hoffman spacing 432mm x 356mm) which is suitable for a National Hive & WBC, inside our own bespoke free correx travel box. Please note these will fit inside of a 14x12 hive but you will have to slowly migrate to your larger frame size. Unfortunately it is not commercially viable for us to produce on several different frame sizes. You can use these in a Langstroth hive by using cable ties to secure a national frame to the top and side bars of a standard Langstroth frame with the bottom bars removed but entirely at your own risk.

We have many happy customers throughout the UK. Check the reviews, pictures and videos above to see how docile our bees really are.

PAYMENT FOR COLLECTED NUCS IS AN INITIAL NON REFUNDABLE £80 DEPOSIT WITH £120 PAYABLE ON COLLECTION (CASH / BANK TRANSFER PRIOR).YOU ARE WELCOME TO PAY THE FULL AMOUNT PRIOR WHICH INCLUDES A NON REFUNDABLE £80 DEPOSIT (Selecting the full payment option)

PAYMENT FOR POSTED NUCS IS THE FULL PRICE OF £200 PLUS POST – INCLUDING A NON REFUNDABLE £80 DEPOSIT.MAIN LAND UK NEXT DAY BEFORE 1PM POSTAGE PRICES - Please note that postage is at your own risk, we always recommend you collect.

Weekday Nuc Postage - £30 per Nuc (Via Royal Mail Special Delivery before 1pm - Fully Insured)Saturday Nuc Postage - £38 per Nuc (Via Royal Mail Special Delivery before 1pm Saturday - Fully Insured)We ONLY use Royal Mail to post Bees as they are the only courier that manually handle each consignment. Not only do they not use conveyor belts like big couriers they are the only courier legally that can carry live insects. Be wary of suppliers offering via normal couriers as they will likely be handled badly!Prices quoted are for UK only - we do not post overseas or to Ireland.

Once your order has been placed you will receive a confirmation email of your order and payment. Only when your deposit is received your order is secured. Our first point of contact will be via email so please be sure to enter a valid email address so we can arrange a collection / dispatch date suitable for you. If we do not receive a response via email your nuc will be offered to the next customer in the queue - unfortunately we just do not have the resources to chase customers consistently. We will contact you to make arrangements when we know your bees are ready, only at this point we can give you accurate timescales. Persistent calling will not help matters.Due to the time constraints we are under in the spring we can only offer collections on set collection days as it is virtually impossible to work around customers during the day because of our work load. These have generally been whole Saturdays from 8am - 4pm.

* We cannot offer an exact collection date, please remember this is nature and we cannot control the weather so please bear that in mind when placing your order. Any updates can be seen on our News & Updates section..

** Please note - depending on the time of year stores may vary, e.g. during April / May there is a strong flow of oil seed rape so a larger amount of honey could be expected. Nucs will initially benefit from feeding to establish into a stronger colony when moved into a full size box as demonstrated in our installation video.

Queens used in our nucs are imported from Europe from reputable breeders.

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Reviews (17)

Customer Reviews

Hi Daniel and Tristan
I purchased a nucleus of bees from you this spring have to tell you how thrilled I have been. They really have been superb, healthy, always very calm on inspection and no stings yet! (Posted on 19/09/2018)

I am exceptionally happy with the Nuc. Arrived safe and sound, the colony are now in their new hive and working like little troopers. Will definitely be doing business again. Regards. Dave (Posted on 18/05/2018)

Welcoming this Buckfast Bee Family has Been the most Wonderful Experience;

I Simply cannot Praise Daniel and Tristan enough for the Outstanding Bee Breeding Work they have Accomplished! Indeed, what they Sent me far Exceeds the Specifications for a Nucleus; I was Sent a Beautiful, Healthy and Harmonious Honey Bee Family.

You can Tell by their Gentleness and their Excellent Organisation that the Bees Belong Together: they were Obviously Allowed to Build up the Colony in the First Weeks of Spring. And two Month after Welcoming them, I can't Believe that this Young Nucleus has Grown into such a Full Size, Mature and Mighty Bee Colony! Their Progress has Been such a Joy to Behold, as they have Filled the Brood Box and have since Been Given Three Supers... They Start Climbing onto New Frames as soon as I Insert them, and Draw out a Beautiful, Pearl White Comb that Smells Heavenly!

The Result? I now Have a WBC Beehive in Full Swing, and a Gorgeous Buckfast Queen in Full Lay!!! The Bees Have so much Wing Power, they are Amazing Foragers; Neither Wind nor Rain can Stop them from Performing their 'Bee Ballet', Bringing Back Pollen and Nectar from Sunrise to Sunset!

Those Buckfast Bees are so Exceptional that I have Decided not to Use any Kind of Protection and not to Use my Smoker either (Except to Make them Go Down into the Frames, so I can Put their Crownboard / Supers Back into Place without Hurting any One of them). Each Inspection is a Pleasure, as Neighbours, Family and Friends can Have a Close Look without any Danger, which doesn't Mean the Bees are Defenseless: The Hive is well Guarded, and I have Witnessed them Defend against Robbers / Ants / Wasps Very Convincingly!

Finally, I am also Impressed by Daniel and Tristan's Organisation; even though they are Dealing with the Honey Bees' Lifecycle, Unpredictable Natural Events and Weather Changes, they Made Ordering and Receiving the Bees Easy and Straightforward. Everything is Thoroughly Explained in the Nucleus' Description, and again in the Email Communications they Sent me: you are Told when your Nucleus is Secured, what will Happen Next, you are Sent a Clear Invoice, and then Told when to Expect your Bees to Be Dispatched / Ready for Collection... I only Needed to Confirm the Dispatch Date was Fine for me, and the Bees were Delivered. What you See is what you Get, and what you Get is what you Paid for. Please, Feel Free to Have a Look at my Social Media Profiles ('Pierre Soudan' on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube...) if you Wish to See Pictures / Videos of the Lovely Bees.

I Strongly Recommend BS HONEY BEES as a Friendly and Trustworthy Supplier of Healthy Buckfast Bees! (Posted on 07/07/2017)

Bees arrive safely yesterday at 8:30 am
Moved them into the hive Sunday at 11:00 am
Thanks for the great service.
I’ve added a couple of links to some videos I made.
https://vimeo.com/217384136
https://vimeo.com/217284031 (Posted on 15/05/2017)

I collected my NUC from you yesterday and hived them this morning. I am a relatively experienced beekeeper. I just wanted you to know that I have not purchased many bees as I generally rely on swarm collection, but, I do know quality. The bees you sold me are top quality. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend your organisation.(Posted on 15/05/2017)

Just like to say thanks......picked nucleus up this morning, installed in hive by 11:00....very pleased with quality of nucleus and temperament of bees. The pick-up also went well, couldn't believe how many nuclei you had ready to go!
Well done, I would not hesitate in recommending your service to others. (Posted on 25/05/2014)

Dear Daniel and Tristan,
Bees arrived safe this morning opened the flap and a beautiful bee flew out and stung the side of my head so much for Brother Adams gentle Buckfast bee haha (should have put veil on lol) I blame parcel force for a less than perfect trip. They are so healthy plenty of comb and active orientating them selves.
Thank you so much for first class service and excellent communication. (Posted on 06/05/2014)

The colonies were beautifully strong, well balanced and very well mannered. Collected at 8am and 120 miles later they were "home" and flying, gathering pollen later in the day. They have built up very nicely for the winter. Well done lads! (Posted on 18/10/2013)

I think it is a common theme in these reviews that the service is firstclass and very helpful. We purchased 4 nucs and Daniel was ever ready to answer no end of questions that we had. What is even better is that they are true to their word and will deliver when they say they will. Pick up and delivery was no problem at all.

The best part of all this however is the qualtiy of the bees provided. We have nucs supplied from 2 other suppliers and I would have to say that these nucs were by far the best quality. They are mature, industrous and strong. I do not think you will be dissapointed.

I was also very impressed by the after service which seeing as this is post sale I think says a lot for these guys integrity. If you are looking for nuc, queens or hives I do not think you will find a better supplier than this (Posted on 13/07/2012)

I bought a nuc from BS on 23/6/12. As stated in other reviews the buying process and BS communications were excellent. I collected the bees at 8am on the Saturday and was home before 9am allowing me to transfer the bees into my hive later the same day. I was able to inspect the bees before leaving and to see the queen which they were good enough to remark as the colour on her thorax had rubbed away.

Being a first timer I was pleased with the information provided both before, on the day of collection and also their offer of being able to contacting them at any time in the future if I had any concerns.
After 8 days the colony is expanding well even though the weather conditions could be a lot better. I should also say that bees are very quiet when working the hive which as a beginner is helping my confidence no end in handling the bees.

I would be very happy to recommend them to anyone looking to make a purchase.(Posted on 02/07/2012)

I collected a 5 frame nuc a week ago. The guys were very helpful and showed me the queen and health of the brood (on a Sunday!). I was a little nervous at how the bees would get on as I'm new to bee keeping. The weather was so poor that I immediately transferred the nuc to my hive and gave them a good feed.
I am glad to report that following my first inspection the bees are doing very well (they're very calm) and the hive is building up well. I can certainly recommend these guys. (Posted on 18/06/2012)

The sale was smooth and professional. Collected my nuc a few weeks back now and the bees are really thriving. They seem to forage in all but the really wettest weather and are really calm and gentle. I will certainly use BSHoney bees again in the future. (Posted on 13/06/2012)

Just to let you know checked bees today and everything looks good. Queen is present and doing a good job, bees seem to be spreading over 7 frames and are working like little trojans in spite of the appalling weather we have had this week.. Plenty of brood present over a good laying pattern and two frames of sealed honey. They seem to be finding plenty of forage although i didn't expect that to be a problem. So far so good.

I am extremely impressed with the professional sales and after care service. (Posted on 10/06/2012)

I bought 2 nuclei from BS this week. The buying process and BS communications were excellent.

The frames were easily hived, aided in no small part by very good uniform brood. I’ve seen nucleus frames in the past where the comb on one frame has bulged so far into the space of its neighbour that one can’t be removed without damaging the other.

. I must admit I was a bit surprised to see the entrance hole on the “side” rather than the “front” of the nucleus box but the advantage of this became immediately clear when I put the boxes on the hive stands! Much less faffing around when swapping from box to hive.

Most of all i was impressed by the attitude of this team; they are young but have amassed a great deal of experience already and clearly have high targets for service and quality.

I would be very happy to recommend them to anyone looking for queens, nucs or bee packs.